Cheersmin, that was a brilliant six days and the fabulous movies show how much fun we were having. My hands are aching the most at the moment but its followed closely by my face from grinning so much... the event was better than my expectations. The riding was hard with some monster climbs and long days in the saddle, but getting to race all those fantastic "mostly doonhall" special stages was something you don't get anywhere else. A truly fantastic experience and something I would very much LOVE to do again.

Bumped into a few racers around Les Arcs, and saw little yellow diamonds absolutely everywhere we went- half torn between being jealous of the racers, and being relieved I decided not to, I think I'd have broken like a wet twig. Top work everyone!

(met a chap in Edinburgh airport who'd never been to the alps before, can't remember his name now but what a baptism of fire!)

To be able to enjoy an event like the Trans-Savoie requires a good level of fitness. Some of the individual big climbs where ~20km/~1000m of granny ring turning at altitude (often above the lifts) which often took about two hours... the payback for these big efforts were 20+km (30+minute) timed special stages passing from high alpine trails into forest switchbacks, then meadows, then lower forests and often right down to the river at the valley bottom. Riding (let alone racing) thirty plus minute doonhalls themselves are tough on the body so being fit and keeping enough back on the climbs to enjoy the descents was part of my strategy. The stats for the race explained well what would be required so we all knew what was expected; so it was sensible to get prepared by knowing how the body would fare on long rides. We did a few ski area blue/red runs and these were the less tiring "easy" stages compared with some of the big high technical special stages.

Personally I went out in my best shape for years and was able to enjoy the event knowing I had done all the preparation I could; but still there were occasions when I struggled mostly due to the effects of heat and altitude.

To have a big event like this as a "goal" for the year and to work towards it by getting more miles than usual in has helped me enjoy my riding this year. I commited to do the event, and then commited to be in my best shape... to have done any less would have been a waste. Nobody was expecting anyone to race the climbs and there was no disgrace in walking parts or resting, but there were time cut-off's on some stages so as not to miss closing lifts; and getting back to camp late effects how tired you would be for the next day and limit the important bike (and body) repair time!

I've probably not really answered your question very well... *cliche alert* only you will know if you have what it takes to do the preparation and the event

I estimated it was a 50/50 split of fullface vs XC/Enduro lid. Everyone had kneepads and most folk took them off or ankled them for the long liason stages. Only maybe a quarter of people wore more armour like elbows etc; and probably three quarters were on SPD's vs flats.

Bike wise 6" travel AM type bikes were the most popular with a few on shorter travel. There were a few 27.5" and 29" wheel bikes. Everyone I spoke too was happy with their choices; although there were a few cracked frames and other problems over the six days... keep an eye on the cracks after each stage and keep riding . Gearing wise I was on XX1 with a 32 front which was great. There was quite a lot of XX1 about but many folk were on 2x10 and there a few hardy souls on 1x10.

My tally of broken kit for the week was...
1. A cracked rear carbon rim on the first day after screaming into a rock garden way too fast (I had a buckled wheel but the rim held out for the rest of the week; although it did destroy my rear tyre in the end). I rode a bit more cautious after day one
2. Broken seatpost quick release on day two which I repaired with 2 zipties until I found a replacement in a shop that night.
3. Brake pads x 4
4. Sidewall of a rear tyre due to my damaged rim cutting through the tyre near the bead. Bodge repair involving a buff and some gell wrappers got me throught the last two days.
5. Complete death of one SPD shoe on the second last day. Fixed up with some electrical tape, zip-ties and swearing.

If you look at the results most riders were very consistent in where they finished... your as good at riding as you are good at riding and not much changes that. I snuck into the top thirty on the last day and I'm very happy with that result

Its funny how when you scroll around these forums you never quite know who the person is behind a pseudonym. It seems I was camped next to Stim all week and caught a chair lift on one occasion with Messiah, I was also hunted down by the latter on the road in to Megeve on the last day, I was buggered after that!!!!.

I enjoyed (nearly) every minute of the trip, what a truly great experience.

It was a fantastic event, and I really wish I'd not stuffed my leg up on day one.

Stim I know from this thread and talking to him on the coach on the way out. Messiah I've just worked out and we spoke a few times over dinner/breakfast, but Dexter I'm struggling to put a name/face to.

Haha dexter, nobody was hunting anyone... we were all worried about losing out on the last stages by missing the cut-off time so it all got a bit harried on that road section. It all calmed down after the omelet and coffee at the restaurant though

Hey guys. Just catching up on this. Good to meet you all (Messiah and Stim I spent plenty of time with)

Echo the sentiments that it was an amazing week and highly recommended. The amount of vertical was unbelievable but make no mistake you have to be seriously fit. I trained hard and was in the best shape of my life and still found it tough, particularly the amount of descent. The last day for instance had a 28km liason stage between stages 1&2 and then you still had a 1000+ metre climb to do later in the day (inc high alpine hike a bike)

5 to 6 inch all mountain bikes were where it was at. I wouldn't take a 29er (both tall boy ltc snapped!!!)

I wore full face and would probably do the same next year. Climbs were mostly lift, road or fire road and there was no issue taking them off on climbs. I face planted a rock on the most tech stage of the week so was thankful of it. Plenty of people in trail lids too though

The vids are well produced and capture the flavour really well imo. Defo want to have another go as my mechanical issues at start of the week left me feeling like I have unfinished business..

I know you weren't really hunting me down Messiah but you were certainly carrying a wee bit more pace on the road section, and yes the omelette did help ;-), And for the benefit of you and Straightliner I was the bloke on the "S works" with the leaky rear shock! Yep iam Scott.

michaelcc - the carbon rims are the light bicycle ones I've been riding at home for a few months with no issues; the terrain I ride here is little different to the alps other than in scale! I was unlucky/unclever in how I damaged the rim... I would have damaged any rim of any material by "screaming into a rock garden way too fast" and was possibly unlucky/lucky in that it lasted out the week (chap with an ENVE rim did the same in the same rock garden... ). I would (and probably will) run carbon rims again for the same type of riding... if you ride kit you sometimes break it; such is life

Hello everyone here. Thanks so much for your comments and support. Its really REALLY great to hear that you enjoyed the event.

Just thought Id share some interesting inside news with you on the world of the mountain bike inner sactum:

It appears that Trans-Savoie is clearly not in that privileged group - the moderator just deleted this thread for breaking forum rules (!)

Not that Id like to start rumours, but could it possibly be foul play? Has anyone else noticed how much excessive coverage that a certain better-known other multi-day enduro gets on this site's homepage....and that it its media man is ex-permanent staff of this very forum and sister magazine?

Id never make a good politician would I. Never mind, I'll just stick to finding more great trails for the 2014 event.....

There's no route map.......part of the conditions of getting the race authorised was that they didnt want it to become a mountain bike motorway - its all on walkers paths. However, you could try trailAddiction who guide that area and who planned and organised the entire race!